


One Is The Loneliest Number

by DualDreamer, Eternal_Garbage



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Angel is an adult and a badass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Worship, Bottom Jack, Death, Family Dynamics, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Getting Back Together, Good Dad Jack, Immortals, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Love, M/M, Other, Past Relationship(s), Personal Growth, Possessive Behavior, Suicide, angel au, asexual Rhys, background gaigel, these two tags stand for past events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:11:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19257427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DualDreamer/pseuds/DualDreamer, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternal_Garbage/pseuds/Eternal_Garbage
Summary: Timothy is a guardian angel and plagued by the curse of being on the receiving end of Handsome Jack's affections. The demon follows him everywhere, seemingly only living to inconvenience Tim and make his job harder. One day they stumble over a human that needs more than just a little protection and it leads to a unique situation: They team up.





	1. Here we go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome to this (not so) little passion project. This had been planned for a long, loooooooong while now and we are happy that we can finally share it with you. :D
> 
> Enjoy our angel au!

The air was quiet, peaceful even, as Timothy entered the mortal plane. It was merely a beautiful illusion since the night was just as dangerous as the day in the human world, if not more. Not that it posed any threat to him.

The angel did not have to worry about a thing while he was flying above the coastal town, marvelling at its beauty. Finally he reached his destination: a shabby rundown house located at the very end of the suburbs, far away from the sea and the beaches that made this place so pretty and popular. He cringed at the den's state when he went inside by simply stepping through the rotting walls. There was no doubt that the individual he sought would need all of his help. A dreadful start for a soul.

Cautious, so he would not wake the young human, the angel neared the crib. Mortals usually couldn't see their guardians, but newborns and some very small and perceptive children were an exception to this rule. To his surprise, the baby was already awake. Almost as if it expected his arrival… or perhaps something else had woken it up. Tim felt the hairs on his neck standing up: the Sirens have mercy it better not be - 

Suddenly a voice cut through the silence, ripping Timothy out of his thoughts.

“Sorry to disappoint but this one is taken.“ 

The angel swivelled around, bristling at the tone the other took.

“Oh hell no. Not _you_ again”, Tim groaned when he saw Jack stepping out from the shadows of the nursery.

 “I think you mean ' **hell** yes', princess.”

* * *

The demon snickered while he began to circle Timothy. His admittedly kinda lame pun had done nothing to cool the angel's temper. If anything, it was fuelling his anger. The heat in his eyes rivalled the blazing fires of Jack's home in their intensity and the willingness to burn one alive. An intimidating sight which would have anyone lesser than him shaking.

But not Jack, oh no.

He was not one of those common spineless cowards, absolutely not. This had to be the funniest thing happening to him in the last few decades and the demon simply couldn't get enough of it.

Calm. Collected. Precise.

These were the traits one would normally associate with Timothy Lawrence. Seeing the usually so stuck up and repressed angel in a state of seething rage gave him great pleasure of… different varieties.

Timothy obviously did not share the sentiment and was positively fuming at this point. He looked a lot like a puffed up bird right now and his beautiful blue feathers quivered in disdain.

“Why can't you just go back from where you came and just _stay_ there, you rotten creature?!”, Tim spat. “Don’t you ever get tired of trailing after me, going around and stealing my charges? You must be delirious to think this will get you _anywhere_.”

Jack raised his brows in offence. The effect was ruined by the wide smirk which was still plastered all over his face but sue him, he was just a poor devil and could not help the need to revel in the moment.

“Woah, cupcake, tone it down a bit, will ya? What’s with the hostile attitude, buddy? That’s no way to talk to an old friend.”

“'FRIEND?“ Tim sucked in a sharp breath and laughed hysterically. “We are no _friends_ , Jack. We are _nothing_ to each other. Ever since I know you, you've done nothing but disrespect me. Fuck your friendship, it's worth shit.“

Jack's amicable smile vanished and he bared his sharp teeth.

He really did not appreciate this kind of talk coming from that pretty mouth. Damn angels, ruining his sweet Timothy with their gossip and their language. He had been such a timid and eloquent kid back in the day but eventually the unflattering common tongue of Sanctuary had made an impact on the impressionable young immortal. Nowadays Tim could curse like a sailor when he got irritated.

“Keep track of your language, sweetheart”, Jack growled but the dangerous scowl quickly turned into a softer expression. It had taken a while but eventually even Jack learned that aggressive behaviour did not get him anywhere with Tim. Once he started to yell or look violent, the angel would turn on his heel and retreat in an instant. At first it used to be fear but as the angel matured so did his feeling of self - worth. He did not tolerate being screamed at. Jack raised his hands, hoping to placate Tim.

“Look, pumpkin. I know we had our differences-, ” Timothy snorted at that. 'Differences' was putting it lightly. “- but I think you’re overreacting _maaaaybe_ a little.”

The gesture only made Timothy roll his eyes as he stepped closer, all the while pointing an accusing finger at Jack.

“Piss off, Jack. Every time I try to do my damn job you're there to screw it up. You do this on purpose, I know it, and _you_ know it too. Oh, you know it so damn well, you… you _asshole_!”

Tim poked him to emphasize his last words. The demon would never admit it but being stabbed in the chest like that did hurt quite a lot. Despite his holier-than-thou attitude, Timothy never held back his strength and always pushed right back against all the harassment he received from the demon - a trait Jack usually appreciated about him.

He snorted and straightened his back.

“I’m here to make you a once-in-a-lifetime offer. And you know what that means for _our_ kind.”

Timothy rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m just hoping you are not asking for my hand in marriage or some crap like that.”

“Ouch, ” Jack held his chest, in a mockingly wounded manner. “And I had the ring and everything… Next time then. ”

“There won’t be a next time if you don’t get to the fucking _point_.”

“Well. This is actually what I’m offering: a lifetime of next-times."

“I’m out.” Tim promptly turned around and Jack backpedaled.

“W-wai-wait, I wasn’t done," he reached out for Lawrence, fingertips brushing over soft blue feathers and sending a jolt down his spine. Dammit, he did not need that now. "Stop being so damn hasty! I didn’t phrase it the best way, okay? My proposal is that we are watching _together_ over little Rhysie here. You know. Like a **team**.”

He could see the flame of interest sparking the moment he said the magic word. Angels were all about teamwork, down to motivational posters hanging around every corner and stupid weekly meetings. Timothy turned around slowly, eyes wide in disbelief.

The rule had been established for more than a millennium: no immortal was allowed to form a team with another to guard a single human soul together. It was the devil’s law.

The law of Handsome Jack.

This was a big move and he was fully aware of it. Jack had worked hard to enforce this rule among _everyone_. Eventually, with an iron fist and a lot of bloodshed, he managed to even make the angelic rebel forces bow to his will. But right now he was at the end of his wits with Tim. It made him grind his teeth thinking about how much this could cost him but he also knew how much more he would suffer if he lost the angel for good. The cold shoulder Timothy gave him was unbearable and had been slowly killing him on the inside: Jack was starving for the angel's attention.

If push came to shove he knew _ways_ to make the immortal community forget his misstep. His feathers ruffled at this fascinating thought.

“I mean business this time, kitten. Stay by my side and you can guard this human _with_ me, " Jack licked his lips in uncontrollable anticipation. "You are such a smart boy. Surely you know what this could mean for your ragtag band of hippies if it works out?”

With a heavy gulp Tim swallowed the bait, along with all his doubts and suspicions. This was too good an offer to pass. Jack had him on a hook, he knew it. He only needed to reel him in and so he let his voice get smooth like velvet.

“You’re meant to be by my side, Timmy. It’s time you finally realise that. The sooner you give in, the sooner we can go back to fucking all day long. I miss us, we were _perfect_. ”

"Stop talking like that," Timothy looked anxiously at the crib as if the baby would do something else besides pooping and drooling. “He can hear you.”  
  
Jack rolled his eyes at the comment. Classic Timmy.  
  
"Relax, Timtams. When he's grown up he won't remember us anyway. Babies have, like, one braincell, " He raised an eyebrow and inched a bit closer to the angel who stood protectively over the babe. "Move away, momma hen, I can almost see you lactate."  
  
Timothy pressed his lips tightly together and eventually let out a deep exhale. His eyes swept over the newborn thoughtfully before he directed them back to Jack, their gaze unmistakably less warm than when they looked at Rhys. He seemed to have made a decision.  
  
"You will hear from me." He made one step backwards and widened his stance. "This is not over, Jack."  
  
With that he spread his wings and took off with one powerful swing. Jack watched the angel phase through the ceiling, his body unaffected by the hard material and simply going through without a trace. The grace and the way that feathered asshole moved with always left him shivering. He would bet his left wing that Timothy was going to crawl back to the other guardians in Sanctuary and ask for their advice.  
  
A small gurgle shifted his attention back to the crib. With a smirk he picked up one of his own feathers which has sailed to the ground. It was long, pitch black and scruffy looking. The whole floor was covered with them, in fact, but Jack didn't sweat it. They would be gone and dissolve on their own in a few hours. Mortals, the adult variety anyway, could not see them either. Jack stepped closer and leaned over the human infant.  
  
"Arencha just the sweetest little babe?", he cooed, his tone lacking the edge it had before. The demon twirled the feather between his fingers and watched small heterochromic eyes follow the movement. It reminded him of his Angel when she was just like that. Immortal infants were less fragile and needy but otherwise they were just as cute. He dangled it over Rhys' head to see the boy blow a happy bubble of spit.

"Yes, you are... So smart, my Rhysie." Jack smiled when Rhys tried to reach the object with his tiny hands. "...and there is no way you will remember any of this, right, kiddo?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, Rhys, how come they let you have two immortal dads?


	2. Old Flames

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I updated the tags. After thoughtful consideration I decided to add all of them, even when they refer to content that happens much later. It only seemed fair to warn those who need it ahead of time when certain topics are going to be touched. The suicide and death tags are about past events.
> 
> That said, hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Tim did not give a single crap about the landscape as he rushed back home. The rage was making him skip the scenic route this time and driving the angel straight towards Heaven.

This game the two of them were playing was old and had long lost its flavour. Or, rather, it was Jack who insisted on repeating the same dance over and over and _over_ again. Timothy was done with it a long time ago but the other one never got the memo. 

Tim would find a new human in need. Jack would appear to steal it literally from under his nose.

At first it only happened occasionally, to tease and to grab his attention. But during the last year Jack's efforts to make his life miserable intensified to a new extreme and the angel had not been able to fulfill his guarding duties at all.

Timothy was, quite frankly, sick of it. Eighty-five years should be enough to move on from whatever relationship they once had. It was incomprehensible to him what Jack could gain from practically stalking him.

Well, _besides_ the obvious petty struggle for dominance.

It was not uncommon for angels and demons to get competitive. The fragile peace treaty between their factions did not stop them from trying to up one another on the regular basis. But every _normal_ person would be polite enough not to touch a human charge once another immortal laid a claim to it. 

Except Jack.

* * *

The circumstances of their first meeting were heated right from the beginning.

On that day the sun was blazing down on the planet without mercy and the rubble at his feet didn’t offer much protection from its unforgiving rays. Barely enough to create some sparse shade, it could not help the human buried underneath to escape the savage heat completely. The young woman was sporting a painful looking sunburn on one half of her face - not that this kind of thing could bother anyone much when their lower body was currently in the process of being crushed by an unhealthy amount of rocks.

The angel wished he could at least shield her with his wings, like he did for himself. But his body existed in a different plane than hers, his shadow did not make any difference. Timothy felt even more useless than the debris around him, all despite the fact that he was the _only_ reason she was still alive. 

His charge had always been an adventurous type, daring to climb around in cliffs and explore the rough mountain area. One misstep and she paid dearly for it. Even if she had no injuries or was not stuck under rubble, the path she came from was blocked now. And the other direction, well...

Tim stared at the human settlement sitting in the middle of the mountain pass.

If it could even be called that.

It certainly did not deserve that title. He wished he could say that it was filled with the finest specimens born on this planet. Sadly, the opposite was the truth: it was nothing more than a bandit camp. Cesspit filled to the brim with bloodthirsty scum who was unpredictable in everything it did - except that somehow it would always end in violence, cannibalism and death. And not always in that order.

He sighed.

A little while ago Timothy had used his powers to make an anonymous distress call in an attempt to reach the next civilised place and to inform them about the woman in need. But his attempt was futile: no one wanted to come near this place, not with this bunch of murderous madmen in between.

All he could do, while prolonging her life with his energy, was to wait upon a miracle. As an immortal his influence on this world was limited and whichever way he looked at it, magically clearing either side of the pass was not possible. If only another angel could be here now… Their combined power and wit might have been able to tip the scales.

Tim's face scrunched up when he thought about the hated rule that forced him to deal with this mess on his own.

"Who even thought of this law. It makes no sense at all!" he mumbled. "Only an imbecile would be convinced that less help is more effective."

“Wow, that hurts. What is that infamous saying the humans use, kiddo? 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'?"

Timothy flinched when another voice piped up from behind him. He did not hear the newcomer's arrival. Was the loneliness during his guard making him careless? But the desert had been quiet except for the harsh, desperate breathing from underneath the rocks. How did that stranger manage to sneak up on him without causing a noise?

“Hey. You. Birdbrain. I'm talking here.“

So it really _was_ another immortal and not a human. Go figure that one of his kind would show up in the worst possible moment to have a chat.

“If you're not here to lend your assistance“, Timothy huffed, eyes still trained on his charge, “then please be so kind and take your business elsewhere.“ He could not afford to get distracted, every second counted.

If Tim wasn't so deep in concentration, the trollish drawling would even ring a familiar bell but he had no time, she needed every inch of his attention. 

Suddenly he was hurled around. Tim's eyes widened as his hold on the human began to slip. Despite being handled like a mere rag doll Timothy was able to steady her in the very last moment.

Furious he glared at the other. “What is wrong with you?!“, Tim hissed.

The next moment he clamped his mouth shut so suddenly, it nearly drew blood as the angel actually took a good look at _who_ was holding him by the collar.

Timothy knew that face. He saw it every day in the mirror.

“You’ve got some nerve ignoring me like that, pumpkin. _Nobody_ ignores Handsome Jack.“

Tim blinked. That name was also not news. 

Everyone knew of “Handsome“ Jack: he was the devil himself and head of Hyperion, the group of demons united under his leadership. Famed for his skill, hated and admired. Truly an asshole extraordinaire. Despite his followers nicknaming him Handsome, he was simply called the “Soul Reaver“ by everyone who didn't swoon at his sight and hated his guts. And now he was here, in all his glory, smirking down at the unfortunate soul in his grasp. 

Oh, no… Timothy was in _so_ much trouble. 

* * *

Jack silently studied the man before him. The angel was young, far younger than the demon who himself lived through several millennia already. His wings, a deep blue just like the clear sky above them, did not even sprout a secondary colour yet and Jack’s eyes narrowed into suspicious slits when he noticed. Did the dumbasses from Heaven get so desperate that they started sending their newly spawned on guarding duty? 

But no… Jack's gaze swept over the face, throat and neck, checking every inch of bare skin. He tried and failed to find the telltale sign of a regular immortal’s “youth”: his old name, the one from his last life.

None of them aged beyond a certain point, at least not naturally, but it was not impossible for immortals to die, if, say, they were killed. An overwhelming majority was not “born“ either, most immortals came as fully grown adults into this world. They would spawn in springs of pure Eridium with a little souvenir of their last reincarnation etched into their skin. The name vanished when its owner chose a new one or when they decided to keep their old one once again. Usually their feathers started to sprout a second colour around the same time. Not this angel, apparently.

How _interesting_.

The demon licked his lips. He would not mind helping out if the pretty little thing needed a splash of colour. There was more than one way to add them after all...

That face though... Kid's face was even more fascinating than his wings. Jack could have mistaken him for a very realistic mirror image, if it were not for the obvious differences between them. The angel had the same height as him but possessed a much more delicate built and the deliciously tight silk shirt could not hide that lithe gentle frame. Where Jack’s features tended to be sharp and prominent, his were softer, less intimidating. Instead of greying brown hair, the angel had wavy and soft copper locks. The hair was neatly tied into a ponytail and was a heavenly match to the freckles dusting his cheeks.

Jack's throat felt uncomfortably dry all of a sudden and it was not the harsh desert sun affecting him this way. He wanted to touch that hair, untie the ribbon and let the curls frame the angel's features. Jack's fingers twitched where they were clutching the silky collar. There was something about the other that made his skin crawl and the distance between them suddenly seemed too close.

The unwelcome wave of warmth filling his body was quickly brushed off. Handsome Jack didn’t _do_ feelings. He was untouchable and took whatever he wanted, when he wanted. 

And right now Jack wanted to see the little worm _wiggle._

Without any warning, he dumped him on the ground. The surprised shriek it earned him was _very_ satisfying.

“I'll give to ya. Whoever worked on your face, they did a nice job, fanboy. You look _almost_ as good as me.“

The brat was struggling to get back up, but Jack quickly put an end to this by stomping on his chest. It squeezed a gasp out of the angel and there was a faint noise of bones cracking. 

Jack found it admirable that throughout the abuse of his body, the other did not lose his hold even once, initial shock aside. He had seen his fair share of bloody amateurs who fucked up when you looked at them wrong. But this one had focus and kept his human charge alive, even under severe pressure. The demon showed his great appreciation by pressing down a tad harder.

“Mmmmh… That’s a good look on you, pumpkin. Now tell me, what’s a cute thing like you doing on _my_ land.”

Instead of answering, the other was squirming underneath his feet - just like it was supposed to be. Jack wondered just how far he could push him before the angel’s concentration would begin to crumble.

“Stop...that-...Ah!”

“Listen, I really like the way you keep using that mouth to moan. But I want some answers, and I want them yesterday.”

Jack gave him a wide smile as if he was not currently driving his heel into the other. The little angel was still resisting.

“Hey kiddo, lost your angelic voice? Or are you suddenly deaf? Why. Are. You. On. My. Turf?”

He punctuated each word by pressing down briefly.

“It’s -,” the young man cleared his throat. “It’s common ground, you have no right -“

His voice, once again, made Jack listen in disbelief. The angel sounded so much like himself it was uncanny. Softer and younger but the resemblance was definitely there.

“Cupcake I don’t care,” he sighed dramatically. “You are intruding on my fun times. Didn’t your supervisor teach you anything?” Jack narrowed his eyes and the stranger shriveled under his gaze a bit. “What are you, fifty? Eighty?”

The angel’s wings perked up in agitation, iridescent blue wings fluffing up and flailing underneath him against the dusty ground. He knitted his eyebrows angrily.

“I’ll let you know I have not had supervisor for a long while! I’m two hundred and -“

“Yeah right, and I am the Queen of Pandora,” Jack laughed, and once more featured at the boy’s awfully beautiful set of wings. “Bet you didn't even choose a name, pumpkin. Show daddy your markings?”

“That is unacceptable! I- I won’t,” the angel pitched up, face turning crimson as his wings whooshed to the side.

“Show me. If you have blank skin, you can prove it.”

The angel turned scarlett red under the leer the demon threw his way.

“I'm not showing you anything. And would you just let me _go_ , my human is dying. Even a vile, kin-slaying demon like you can't want that, do you?“

“Careful with your words, kid“, Jack hissed. “You're at my mercy here. If you don't watch your bloody tongue I'll practice some of that slaying on you.“

Nevertheless, he lifted his foot. The stupid angel was right, at least partly: he didn't want the human to die. It took nothing more than a quick glance for Jack to see that this was an especially pure soul. She had an honest and kind heart, and certainly deserved better than dying out here.

“Gotta say, you're doing a _splendid_ job at surpassing me in cruelty here, kiddo… Are all angels as sadistic as you?“

“What…?“, the little guardian asked dumbly.

“Really, if you planned to drag out her misery instead of giving her the mercy of a quick death, then congratulations, you succeeded. Dunno what she did to piss you off though… Or wait no!“ Jack tapped his forehead as if he had just gotten a revelation. “Now I know! You're one of those freaks who think their human has to suffer a certain degree before you come to the rescue. Didn't peg you for the type at first, honestly, but ya angels are all kinda self-righteous shits, so that fits-“

“What in the world are you talking about?!“

The angel almost cried in exasperation, it was obvious that he had no idea what Jack was on about. He pitied the poor thing. It must be hard being so dumb and yet so pretty. Probably got exploited and dumped all the time.

"Oh, honey… You really got no clue, huh?"

He crouched down to be on the kid's level and the angel flinched at their sudden closeness. But all the demon did was to merely pat his head in a patronising manner while making shushing noises like one would use to calm an irritable horse.

"Don’t you worry. Uncle Jack's gonna show you how it's done."

And with that he rose on his feet and turned away.

He could feel the eyes of the angel following him, and when Jack was already a good distance away the kid's voice trailed after him.

"Where are you going?! Hey… _HEY._ You can't leave us here!"

Jack smirked and kept moving. He did not bother looking back even when the screams grew in volume.

* * *

It had been hours since Jack left. The sun was already beginning to melt into the horizon and Tim really felt the strain of keeping his human alive. He never had to use that much of his own energy before. While he had established himself as a pretty good guardian, the young angel lacked experience with dangerous situations. None of his prior charges had put him quite at his limit like this one here. At this point the flow of energy was only a slow trickle crawling towards the girl, a thin thread barely keeping her alive. Thankfully she had passed out a while ago but his soul hurt at every pained whimper she produced.

It would not be too long until the last of his resources were drained. His cotton filled mind wondered what would happen to him if he just kept giving. Maybe he would be able to show her the night sky one last time…

Just when the sun was about to vanish behind a faraway mountain, the sky started to darken rapidly. In his delirium, Tim thought he was about to pass out until what was left of his good sense made him look up and his mouth fell open at the sight.

Where formerly there was not a single cloud to be seen, an angry storm was brewing. The massive grey wall that was spreading and claiming the sky was entirely unnatural, it had to be: just watching it made Tim’s hair stand on end. All his senses screamed “danger” - he could practically feel the electric tension hanging in the air, prickling over his skin. As if on cue a flash of lightning snapped through the dark, briefly illuminating the landscape.

In these few seconds he could see a large figure high up in the sky, pitch black and hard to distinguish from the surroundings without light. He squinted to make out what it was, but suddenly another, bigger bolt of lighting cracked down, and this time it hit something. Timothy’s eyes widened when he realised that the storm was raging directly above the nearby camp. The warm-up phase was over now: one strike after another hit the buildings and soon they caught fire. The angel could not hear anything through the thunder but he could see the tiny humans running and fleeing from their smoldering homes, some even while burning alive, only to get hit by lighting once they escaped their camp.

This was not a tragedy. 

It was not accidental. 

It was a massacre.

“That madman…”, Tim whispered.

Timothy was horrified, and yet he could not tear his eyes away from the gruesome spectacle. The angel felt sick to his stomach and, combined with his weakened state, this was the closest he ever felt to dying.

It ended as fast as it started, the same moment the last life was snuffed out in an electric flash. The fire turned to ashes as it slowly started covering the earth and the bodies. Covering _everything_. A soft breeze blew it into the air and it even seemed like the soot was rising from the crumbling shacks, subsequently flocking into thick clumps. Something about it was wrong… and it didn’t take him long to figure out what.

The flakes were not rising, but falling. It was raining feathers, as they mingled with the ashy air and gently sailed towards the ground. The crow must have been circling above the newly found graveyard, relishing in his evil deeds.

Tim could not see Jack anywhere, but he didn't care, now that the path was clear he needed to bring his charge into safety-

“And THAT'S how it's done!”

Jack suddenly emerged from the blanket of ashes.

Tim grit his teeth; the demon’s cheeriness was entirely inappropriate.

“How could you do this.”

Jack's eyes narrowed into angry slits.

“You sound pretty ungrateful for someone I just did a big fricken favour.”

“You _killed_ these people. That’s the opposite of what our job is supposed to be!”

“Eh, they were bandits. Trash, really. They were going to hurt a whole lotta people and cause waaaaay more damage than I did today. Cleaning up after them is a fucking nuisance,” Jack put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side, challenging Timothy to disagree with him. “Cupcake, honestly: I did us all a favour here. And with ‘us’ I mean _you_.”

“Then why don’t you do me another favour?" Tim hissed angrily, hovering protectively over his charge. "Stay the hell away from me!”

Jack granted him his wish that day. But in return he would haunt Timothy for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay thrilled, Angel will make her first appearance in the next chapter.


	3. The Guardian of Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timothy returns to Sanctuary and a decision is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took longer than anticipated to finish and proof this, sorry for the long wait.

While lost in own memories, Tim reached the outer atmosphere which, coincidentally, not only made up the physical borders of the planet but was also affectionately called ‘the door to heaven’. Besides _obvious_ qualifications, it was necessary for an immortal to fly at a certain speed to break through the barrier that separated the human world from their own - have it done wrong and you would just end up in space. Timothy's anger made him pass the hurdle with ease as he was already racing towards it with an enormous speed.

He had put up with Jack for too long. The taunts, the tricks, _the lies_ _._ It was impossible to predict when the devil would pop up but whenever he did, it was always to get on Tim’s nerves. His obsession with the angel was a burden, simple as that.

His only safe haven was the place he called home for some time now: Sanctuary.

Heaven was a vast, empty space. The only habitable places were countless islands scattered across an ocean of clouds. Sanctuary was hovering above one of the biggest: a floating fortress on a detached piece of land that was quite large in size. It had been torn away from its homeland a long time ago, a strategic move to change their position quickly if needed.

The sight of the strong walls and familiar buildings brought him relief. Tim immediately could breathe easier knowing that the shield would not only protect him but also conceal his presence. The Soul Reaver’s ever-reaching gaze would not be able to follow him here.

Getting to the tower that loomed over every other building in the city did not take long but when he finally landed on the platform marking the main entrance, Tim hesitated to step inside, suddenly plagued by anxious thoughts. With the years passing, his responsibilities only became bigger and bigger. He wished he could do the selfish thing and ignore Jack’s offer, but his consciousness would never allow him to do so without taking this development into consideration. 

Jack once talked about how his rule was for the benefit of humanity, that it would ensure those who mattered the most would be protected.

A whole load of bullshit, if you asked Tim.

All it did was ensuring that the greedy demons could put an irrevocable claim on humans and not let any outside party tell them what methods were acceptable in doing their duties. Any resistance or objection from some of the braver angels was met with the same violence that was usually directed at the obstacles lying in their human's way to happiness and success.

They were a ruthless bunch of cutthroat opportunists and Jack was, by far, the worst of them.

And yet... Timothy was contemplating a truce with him.

He shook his head to scatter the pressing doubts. Overthinking it would not get him anywhere, that was why he was here. Inhaling deeply, Tim gathered enough courage to step inside the Siren’s Tower. 

“Angel!”, he called out as he climbed the final steps leading to the main room at the top. “Sir, uhm… Oh. My liege…-s?”

Timothy had possibly chosen the worst moment to walk inside the Guardian Angel’s quarters unannounced. His face flushed beet-red when several pairs of bright eyes fell on him, some curious, others irritated.

Just his luck. He managed to stumble his way into the middle of a Siren meeting.

“Timothy,” The angel focused his gaze on the one he had been seeking out: Sanctuary’s protector and own assigned Siren, the Guardian Angel.

Or just Angel, for most people. Fancy titles were something for strangers and toadies.

The bright colours of her peers made the woman stand out like a raven in a flock of tropical birds. Unlike the others present, her wings were a rare and delicate mix of black and white. Angel’s pale skin and dark hair followed the same theme. The only specks of colour could be found on her clothes where she allowed a few golden accents into the overall monochrome attire.

Their eyes locked, and Timothy held her piercing gaze until she was satisfied with what she found there. Angel gave him a curt nod before she turned back to her company.

“We are done here.”

_“ What.”_ A woman with hair as fiery as her personality jumped up from her seat, the process knocking her stool over in a violent fashion. She slammed her hands on the table, threatening to make a mess of it as well while she voiced her irritation. “Now you’re just using _him_ as an excuse to brush us off again.”

“Lilith,” Angel’s voice was steady while she patiently tried to calm down her friend. However, the mildly annoyed pinch of her eyebrows betrayed that they had this discussion one too many times. Even though she would never truly age, the continued stress she was under might earn her some grey hairs eventually. “We talked this through. It’s ill-advised to unite our forces under any circumstances. All of us meeting here is already a big risk. The moment we give up the Eridium springs in the outer regions, Jack will jump at the opportunity and claim them for himself. We can’t afford to go on the offense if it means losing our only advantage.”

"We _are_ already losing, Angel.“

“No.”

Angel levelled her fellow siren with cold eyes. It almost felt like the temperature in the room dropped a couple of notches and Tim ruffled his feathers in discomfort. Lilith stood her ground but even she seemed uncomfortable under the Guardian Angel's schooling gaze.

“Losing would be if we gave up the springs and consequently exposed every newly spawned immortal to Jack's influence. Every ‘loss’ on our side would be _permanent._ What we're doing is surviving.“

The Red Siren defiantly squared her jaw.

“I’m tired of just sitting around and waiting for this asshole to deliver the final blow. He’s just burning to see us all dead so he can turn us into his loyal minions the next time around.”

“I understand. Believe me I do and that’s _exactly_ why we need to protect the springs.”

The Siren still looked unsatisfied, but she could not defy the logic in Angel’s words. Reluctantly she huffed in agreement and dropped the topic.

“Great. We can go now, right?” Another Siren spoke up, a bored looking woman called Steele, who had been busy picking at her feathers. Her wings were a silvery grey splattered with scarlet red, like droplets of blood on shining metal. Steele was not happy to be gone from her settlement for long and the frown on her face showed as much.

“It was wonderful meeting you all again, until our little spitfire decided to try starting a revolution.” In one fluid movement she rightened herself up and began to head for the exit. On her way out she roughed up Lilith’s hair, turning the already spiky mob an even wilder mess. The Firehawk indignantly ruffled her feathers, literal sparks flying off her but Steele only laughed.

The Sirens were incredibly powerful angels whose unique abilities made them stand out from the rest. In a direct confrontation they could probably tear Timothy to shreds if they so desired. No wonder they were the ones leading the scattered angelic forces and their settlements: They were the ones who had survived and held their own during the war, long before Tim even spawned.

Every last of them eventually bid their farewell and left the room, except for Angel of course. Maya gave him a knowing look when she passed by, giving Tim an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

Lilith simply brushed past him, avoiding any direct contact. She, quite literally, could never stand his face. In a brief, early period of his life he had lived under her leadership in a different settlement. His uncanny likeness to Jack had always put her off and he knew her discomfort only grew with time. At some point Lilith started to ignore his existence completely, finally making him move to Sanctuary - the largest settlement, where the Guardian Angel had her domain and gathered the brunt of the rebellion under her wing. Timothy was fine with that, really. The siren had lost loved ones to the devil, just like many others from the old generation. Better they both stayed far away from each other instead of Lilith beginning to harbour a grudge because she was exposed to his face too often. He was thankful she was not a completely irrational person who held his appearance against him personally. Although her opinion on Tim would inevitably turn into disgust if she ever found out about some of his past interactions with Jack.

When the room finally emptied, Angel closed the doors, the click of a lock loud in the sudden silence and he released a deep sigh. For him, Sanctuary was the safest place in the world, and to a significant degree she was the reason for that. He could relax in the presence of his mentor. No, his friend.

“Not that I am ungrateful for the distraction…” She turned around with slightly curled up lips and a raised eyebrow, the smile quickly becoming chiding. “But I’m curious what could make you storm into my rooms like this. Without knocking, mind you.” 

It was a rhetorical question. They both knew there was only one thing that could get deep enough under Tim’s skin to make him forget his manners.

“Jack.”

“Again?”

She did not sound surprised but there was little reason to be: Jack made his unwelcome appearance every other week. It was nothing new and neither were Timothy’s complaints. He ran a hand through his hair, cringing when he found it all sweaty from the rush he was in on his way here.

“He came out of nowhere, as always, and bothered me, _as always._ I don't know how he keeps finding me. I swear I avoid all their patrols like the plague a- and I cover my tracks like we agreed but somehow he _still_ knows how to pick up my trail. It makes no sense!“

The Siren stayed quiet to let the younger angel keep ranting who, meanwhile, was getting more and more agitated as he gestured wildly with his hands.

“It's almost like he's stalking me but there's no one following me at all! I - I checked! And he’s just like _poof_ , suddenly there, ready to try and get into my pants. It drives me-“

“-insane, I know. Tim, I heard this story a thousand times already,” Angel interrupted him. “And I still don’t have a solution for your problem. So why are you telling me this? - Because I _really_ hope that you are not here only to, _once again_ , bitch about my father's weird infatuation with you.“

Timothy's face turned an even deeper shade of red than before and he shamefully covered his mouth.

“Sorry… Sometimes I forget that you’re related.“

She had little patience for these kind of antics and merely waved away his concerns.

“Trust me, I'm more than okay with that as long as you don't start spilling the beans on… the bedroom stuff. Really, I wish others would be as forgetful as you are. Just get to the point, please. What happened this time?“

“There's a young human. Jack has been his usual dickish self and was there before me to claim the guardianship. But he said… something weird this time, you know?"

Tim twirled his thumbs nervously to prolong the answer, up until Angel caught his hands with hers to still his tick. Slowly he raised his gaze to look at her and with a nod she squeezed lightly and then let his hands go, encouraging him to continue.

“He, uhm…“, Tim started, “Jack offered me a deal.“

Angel's smile did not falter but her brow twitched suspiciously. She crossed her arms and leaned against the table.

“Did he now. And what does he offer?”

Tim gulped and braced himself for the backlash.

_Here we go._

"A partnership. He wants me to watch over this child. _With_ him."

The answer was instantaneous.

“Absolutely not.”

"I know what you're thinking, but-"

"No you don't, Timothy, or you wouldn't even _think_ about considering anything this crazy." Angel stood up and walked into his space, pointing an impeccably manicured nail at his chest. "Do you even have any idea how dangerous this would be? Not just for you, but for everyone around you?"

"But isn't this what we always wanted? This our chance to actually change things."

"Tim, are you even listening to me? If anyone sees you two working together, do you think Jack would let _them_ live?"

"Then I just have to make sure nobody sees me."

Angel groaned in exasperation.

"You can't be serious."

Timothy gave her a crooked smile.

"Hey, you can't deny that I'm sneaky. My Jack impersonation has become even better since the last time you saw it. Want a little preview?"

She glowered at him, entirely unamused.

"No, thanks. I'd rather never see you posing as him ever again."

When Tim's expression became unbearably smug, she smacked him with her hand on the back of his head.

"I'm still against it. Tim, I supported your plans in the past but going back to Jack? This is where I draw the line."

Timothy's face fell at her answer.

"I'm not going back to him,'' he protested, losing his resolve by the second but not giving up just yet. "I won't ever let myself get tangled up in his mess again."

"You say that now but can you really tell me you won't fall for his advances when you have to spend _decades_ by his side? I don't want to see you hurt that way ever again." 

"I can handle him," His feathers stood out in irritation, he was a trifle annoyed that she kept babying him like that. "I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen? He kills me?"

"Tim, why are you even here if you already decided to do this,'' Angel snapped bitterly.

Timothy blinked. Only now he noticed how their voices had grown in volume and how they both puffed out their wings which were trembling in ongrowing irritation. Tim forced himself to calm down and still his wings before he spoke again, his tone much quieter now and laced with disappointment. 

In himself. In her. Maybe in both of them but who could tell for sure?

"...I hoped you would have better arguments and stop me."

The Siren stared at him with a half opened mouth before she caught herself and rubbed her face, unable to deal with his lack of foresight.

"You are unbelievable," She sighed. "What did I do to deserve this? I'm surrounded by stubborn idiots."

"Hey…!"

Timothy pouted but Angel shushed him before he could say anything.

"You know it's true."

She started pacing the room, a habit she shared with her father. Tim watched Jack do the same when he was deep in thought. And just like then, he felt like a prey being sized up by a predator when Angel threw occasional calculating looks at him as she made her rounds.

"You need to be careful. There's no doubt that this is a trap laid out _specifically_ for you."

Timothy nodded. It was quite obvious what angle Jack was trying here, his bait wasn't even subtle. 

"He's going to try and charm you, maybe even set you up to failure and humiliation. I wouldn't put it past him to use this to prove a point and let the boy suffer for it," Her eyes were suddenly glowing a bright blue and just like that she stopped in her tracks, her gaze far, far away, directed at a different place. Angel frowned and Tim wondered what she saw with her gift. The Guardian Angel could observe practically any place or person in both the mortal and immortal world as long as it wasn't shielded from her eyes. Whatever she saw at this moment surprised her. "Perhaps we don't need to worry about the child," she murmured and for a fleeting moment a strange expression passed over her face but it was gone before Tim could put a name on it. Her eyes dimmed and Timothy straightened up when Angel mustered him sharply.

"Listen carefully. If you do this, you'll be responsible not just for the boy but for any angel passing your way. Above all you will be responsible for _yourself_. I won't have you dying on me, Tim and I'll do what I can to have your back, but I can't watch you all the time. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Then you can go now."

Despite the dismissal Timothy didn’t move from his spot. He fidgeted in place and watched Angel going through the notes of the disrupted meeting, hesitant to open his mouth and yet reluctant to leave. It took him a moment until the words finally broke out of him.

"...Angel?"

"Hm?"

“Was he ever… y'know, not like this?”

Angel sighed heavily and looked up from the paper she had already begun to read.

“I’m not sure if or why you really want the answer to this.“

"You know him. I just want to understand. If I understand then maybe - "

"What do you want me to say?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "That he was a good person and something bad happened to him to make Jack the way he is now? Is that what you want to hear? Because I don't know. I don't know what happened to the man that raised me, that sang me to sleep, who told me that all would be well when I cried at night. He's gone, and I don't have a clue why. If you want to know it so badly you can ask him yourself, because _I_ sure as hell never got the answer."

Tim paled and fell silent after her outburst, teeth worrying the lower lip as he began fidgeting once more, feeling stupid and guilty for even asking and thinking he had the right to pry.

"I don't think that anyone really knows Jack. Actually, you might even know him better than I do."

Angel’s eyes were looking into the distance as she was lost in her own world, surely a load of her own grief and painful memories weighing heavily on her in this very moment. He felt bad for burdening her with his presence, his face a silent mockery, unwittingly salting the wounds that must have been the relationship with her estranged father. Tim had always wondered how they ended up on opposite sides and how someone so gentle, strong and good-hearted could be the daughter of Handsome Jack.

"Hey, Tim."

He stilled in the doorway when Angel called out to him one last time and glanced back at her. There was a wistful expression on Angel’s face. A smile tinged with sadness and filled with bittersweet hope was playing on her lips while she observed the busy settlement from above.

“If you ever manage to break through his walls and find out there’s a bit of the old Jack left… Tell my Dad I said ‘hello’.”

The smile faded and she turned her back towards him once more, hiding behind her wings - a clear sign the conversation was done.

Timothy left quietly, now more confused than before. That aside, it seemed he knew what he had to do.

The last time he trusted Jack and hoped he could be open to change ended horribly for more immortals then Tim could or wanted to count. It wouldn't be like that now, not again. Tim had been young and naive back then and had severely underestimated the demon’s stubborn and backhanded nature. He let himself be manipulated but no more, never again: with his innocence lost and many lessons learned the hard way, he would not budge until he got his way.

Now he had the chance to make things right.

* * *

Rhys had just fallen asleep when Jack heard a noise from outside. With a quick glance he ensured that the little rascal was still dozing peacefully in his crib. It had taken forever to lull the kid in - every time Jack had stopped paying attention to him he would start crying. 

It had been a while since Jack cared for a baby. Had their whining had always been so hard to handle? Were his arms ever trembling this badly while swaying his Angel to sleep? Jack could not remember feeling the need to weep alongside one of the many human kids he watched over. But there was something about Rhys' helpless little cries that pierced the heart he, frankly, forgot he had. It put him on edge and urged him to dry the small infant's tears that much faster, otherwise his own eyes would become wet as well. Anxiously he listened for any sign that the child woke up.

But apparently whatever was going on did not rouse Rhys from his slumber and Jack sighed in relief. Carefully, he walked towards the window and peeked into the night.

No one.

Just when he convinced himself that it might have been just a stray animal and wondered if he should check it out (watching over a _sleeping_ newborn could quickly get boring), he got attacked from behind and a shove in his lower back pushed Jack right through the wall and into the garden. Well, more precisely into the air over the sloppily maintained lawn, since Rhys’ room was on the second floor. Jack did not even bother to fly, instead he used his wings to gently lower himself to the ground and softly landed on his feet. Next to him came a heavy ‘thump’ when Timothy landed by his side. Jack smirked at the sight, of course he was right.

“Told ya you would be back.”

His cheeky comment and attempt to reach for Tim’s chin earned Jack another shove, so hard that it slammed him against the house wall. This time he didn't prepare to phase through and the impact knocked the breath out of him, Jack yelping when his wings got squished. Timothy hummed and gave him an unapologetic look.

“Keep those damn hands to yourself. I swear, Jack, if you so much as touch me while we work together, I will not hesitate to rip you apart, limb by limb.”

Jack, unimpressed by Timothy's threatening growl, merely gave him a mild smile and scooted upwards.

“All I'm hearing is 'we' and 'together'. You made up your mind, buttercup?“

Timothy stopped him in his motion with one outstretched hand.

“Before I agree to anything we will set down some ground rules. And rule number one is _fucking listen to me when I say something, you absolute clown_.“

Jack grit his teeth due to the crude language but begrudgingly did as he was told.

“Number two is that we work as a team. No ego trips, you discuss _everything_ with me. No secrets. And we do _nothing_ that could endanger Rhys.“

It was hard not to roll his eyes at this point. 

“Rule number three: You don't touch me, ever.“

“...Unless you want me to, you mean.“

Timothy glared at him and Jack suggestively waggled his eyebrows.

“You know you can't keep me away forever. Soon enough you'll be begging for it."

Tim's face darkened and he stepped closer. He mirrored Jack's smile, but his lips curled into something far nastier. Not the least bit teasing, it held a dangerous edge.

“The days you could trap me under your boots are over, Jack, for good. That, and I have an invaluable advantage on my side.”

He reached Jack's personal space and stood incredibly close. Jack swallowed, little beads of sweat forming on his skin. He cursed himself for the effect the proximity to Tim had on him. Honestly, if Jack didn't pride himself in excellent self control he would have already been trembling. With a quick swipe of his tongue he moistened his dry lips.

“Yeah?” Hell, he sounded hoarse all of a sudden. Dammit, it really had been too long. He smirked to cover his excitement. “And what would that be?”

“Mmh,” Timothy hummed and dragged his gaze over Jack at a tantalizingly lazy pace. The anticipation of Tim’s next words was killing Jack, he did not even care what they were. Please, just let the angel keep talking while looking at him like _that_. Suddenly Timothy leaned in, his hot breath was on Jack's neck and he could not help but tilt his head just a bit – an instinctive offering - but the angel was not after that. Instead Timothy whispered into Jack’s ear, soft lips nearly touching the shell.

“I know your little secret.”

Jack froze on the spot. An emotion he rarely felt crept into his veins: dread.

Many people would question if Handsome Jack even had a heart. But whether they were right or wrong, Jack felt it stopping in this very moment. He forcefully unclenched his teeth to push out some words, fear was nothing he would ever surrender himself to.

“And what is my 'secret', Timmy?”, he pressed sweetly.

“You’re old and very sentimental. You like me too much to kill me, Jack. But I don't have the same reservations.”

Tim shot him a triumphant look and it was that second that Jack was sure the angel had nothing of substance on him. He would never look at him like that if he _knew_. And when Jack realised that, he broke down. Without a care of what the other might think of him the devil began to laugh, loud and relieved. 

If he did not catch Tim's offended frown he might have continued snickering for a while but the sight sobered him up immediately since it reminded Jack of what was at stake here. Such an opportunity would not arise again and he could not blow his chances right now. The demon took a deep breath and tried to put on a serious face. Eventually he managed to tame it into a small smirk.

“Looks like you’ve got me,” Jack stepped backwards and raised his hands in a mocking surrender. “Fine. I won't touch you if you don't want it. _Promise_. Are you happy?”

Timothy still shot him suspicious looks but nodded slowly.

“Yes, very,” He narrowed his eyes. “You better stick to that promise.”

“I would offer you to shake on it but I'm sure that's already against the rules.”

The angel rolled his eyes but chose not to respond to an obvious provocation.

“Good. Then since you are so sincere about this, I will take the first shift. _Alone_ ”, Tim added with a warning glare when Jack opened his mouth. “So get out of my hair right now.”

“Sure thing, cupcake. I will be back soon enough, so don't miss me too much.”

Jack winked and summoned his wings. With a loud rustle they spread from his back and unfolded, cutting off any disgruntled comment the angel probably was about to make. After blowing Tim a kiss, Jack lifted himself up in the air with ease and theatrically waved him goodbye.

As he flew high above, making a few loops, Jack enjoyed the cold breeze which brushed against his body. Jack was really struggling to contain his glee and let himself plummet towards the ground only to catch himself in the very last moment. It was not like him at all to fly in such an undignified manner but there were no eyewitnesses to his silliness and he was in an exceptionally good mood, so Jack allowed himself this one simple pleasure. Where else could he even put all the pent-up energy while Tim was not putting it out just yet? He would though, oh boy he sure would. Timmy would not resist him for long, never could. With that in mind he pushed himself to go even faster and he laughed.

It had been almost too easy to trick the angel into their partnership.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Did you notice Tim called Angel "sir"? All Sirens get addressed that way.)


End file.
